Dancing With the Stars guest judge Cheryl Burke has come under fire following her scoring during the show’s Halloween Night episode. The incident unfolded on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, when Burke’s score of nine for influencer Alix Earle’s tango prompted criticism from Earle’s stepmother, Ashley Dupré. The comment, made via TikTok, sparked significant debate among fans over fairness and body-shaming in competitive entertainment.
Main Details
Returning to the ballroom as a guest judge, Cheryl Burke evaluated contestants alongside regular panelists Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars Season 34, Episode 7.
Alix Earle and her professional dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy performed a tango to Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend”, earning praise from all four judges. While Inaba, Hough, and Tonioli awarded perfect 10s, Burke gave the pair a score of 9, citing a “broken hold” as a technical violation under tango rules.
“The tango is full of passion, fire, and you did all of it,” Burke said. “But you broke hold, and that’s not allowed in international standard tango.”
Reaction from Contestant’s Family
Ashley Dupré, Earle’s stepmother, reacted to the scoring in a TikTok video, cheering when Earle received 10s — but delivering a controversial remark when Burke’s 9 appeared.
“Oh, go take more Ozempic,” Dupré was heard saying in the clip, implying Burke’s appearance was due to weight-loss medication.
The video immediately drew mixed responses online. Some users laughed, while many condemned the remark as body-shaming and inappropriate. One fan wrote, “If you want to critique her judging, do it with actual arguments instead of body shaming.”
Burke, 39, previously denied taking Ozempic, telling Us Weekly in August 2025:
“There’s just no way. I faint at the sight of needles. I changed my eating habits — it wasn’t about weight, it was about how I feel.”
Context and Impact
Despite Burke’s lower score, Earle and Chmerkovskiy ended the night at the top of the leaderboard with 43 out of 45 points, including bonus points from the Dance Monster-thon. The incident has reignited debate over judge consistency and the ethics of public criticism in reality competitions.
Cheryl Burke, a two-time DWTS champion, continues to be respected for her technical expertise — but the online backlash highlights the tension between audience perception and professional judging standards.
What’s Next
Dancing With the Stars Season 34 continues next Tuesday at 8/7c on ABC and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu. The competition enters its Top 7 week, where technical precision and viewer votes will determine the semifinalists.
Sources
ABC.com — Dancing With the Stars Official Site
TV Guide Magazine — DWTS 20th Anniversary Special Issue
Us Weekly — Cheryl Burke Interview (August 2025)
Yahoo Entertainment — Original Report by Paige Strout
